All the Fashionable Details of Stylist Daryl Chang's Wedding

Daryl Chang, Fashion Director of Preview, and Manuel Lotho, Communications Manager of Homme et Femme Retail Concepts, tied the knot in Cebu. Daryl talks to Town&Country about the engagement and putting her stylist's eye to good use.

IMAGE Pat Dy

Daryl wears a gown by Cary Santiago; Mano wears Lanvin.

Tell us how you and Mano started dating.We were introduced casually in 2008 and neither of us thought much about that first encounter, but that same evening, we saw each other again at Embassy and ended up talking till 5 in the morning. Even though the chemistry was electric, the timing wasn’t right and I didn’t see Mano again until months later. There were no mind games—we knew we liked each other from the get-go and being together felt right.

IMAGE Pat Dy

How did he propose?It was one early October morning in our hotel room in Barcelona. The windows were open because the weather was fantastic, the trees rustling and the curtains softly billowing while the cool air breezed in—I don’t know why I remember this distinctly. I was very focused on packing for our trip home after three weeks in Europe, and he stopped me mid-motion by taking my hands, kneeling, and stopping my heart with: “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”

We approached it as we would a fashion editorial in that the narrative was visualized, planned, and executed with hardly anything left to chance.

IMAGE Pat Dy

IMAGE Pat Dy

IMAGE Pat Dy

What made you decide that Mano was the one?Aside from the fact that we share a love for almost everything fashion, food, and travel? He makes me laugh without even trying and is the calm to my storm in darker hours. Even after all we’ve been through, I am as in love with him as I was when we first started hanging out. Eight years should have tempered it out in some way, but we’re still as excited to be with each other every day, and being with him feels like home. Plus, Mano had my mom’s approval before she passed away. I can’t imagine being with someone that my mom hadn’t met. In some subconscious way, that sealed the deal.

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IMAGE Pat Dy

IMAGE Pat Dy

You're a stylist yourself—how involved were you in your wedding's creative process?Mano and I wanted the wedding to be industrial, raw, rustic. I assumed creative direction in everything and made a concept deck. We approached it as we would a fashion editorial in that the narrative was visualized, planned, and executed with hardly anything left to chance. And, as with any fashion editorial, the wedding was only as good as the team. Vince Uy and Epoy Arcino, two of my best friends and both creative directors in their fields, came in to co-direct the celebration and co-curate the food, respectively.

IMAGE Pat Dy

Favorite moment from the wedding?Everything on my wedding day was so new, exciting, and exhilarating that it’s all been burned into memory. Many say that it goes by in a blur, but it was the complete opposite for me. It was like time in slow motion, slowly grinding to a standstill, giving me vivid images every moment. I can’t pick a favorite because to be honest, they were all firsts and I’m sure I won’t be forgetting any of them anytime soon.